Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control computer that controls an engine of an aircraft, and to an aircraft.
Description of the Related Art
The engines of an aircraft are controlled by control computers called FADECs (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) (e.g., National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2012-510585).
The FADECs control the engines in collaboration with other control computers installed in the aircraft so as to obtain optimal performances from the viewpoints of safety and fuel efficiency.
At the time of a takeoff, the mode of the engines is selected to a Take off mode in which a thrust is large. Then, the takeoff is started normally with a thrust lever set at a lever position called TOGA (Take Off/Go Around).
After that, it is required to output a large thrust from the engines to secure the stability of the takeoff until the aircraft reaches an altitude (typically 400 feet) sufficiently away from the ground. Thus, the FADECs latch the mode of the engines into the Take off mode until a predetermined altitude difference (400 feet) is secured with respect to the ground.
Now, an engine may stop while an aircraft flies in the air, due to wind and rain blowing into the engine, or the like. If the engine is restarted in this case and a reference altitude for latching is updated, the FADEC performs the latching process as with the takeoff from the ground even in flight.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 8, an engine stops in flight (A), and the engine is restarted (B). Assume that the thrust lever is thereafter set at the TOGA position. Then, the aircraft loses the altitude thereof until the engine is started and the output thereof increases (C), but ascends thereafter (D).
Here, the latch is activated during a period ((B) to (E)) until a predetermined altitude difference ΔH (400 feet) is secured (E) with respect to an altitude HS at the time of restarting the engine (B) that is set as a starting altitude (reference altitude).
That is, since the latch is not released during a long period after the engine is restarted (B) and the aircraft recovers the lost altitude (C) and (D) until it further ascends by 400 feet (E), the change to an appropriate mode is restricted. In addition, since the altitude needs to be gained only for releasing the latch, fuel is uselessly consumed.
The present invention has an object to provide an engine control computer of an aircraft that can deal with the restriction on the mode change of the engine due to latching in the case where an engine that stops in flight is restarted, and to provide an aircraft.